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Oakland Warehouse Fire Takes 36 Lives

An Oakland warehouse fire has
taken 36 lives, making it the deadliest fire in the U.S. in 13 years according
to experts. The fire, which took place in a warehouse called the "Ghost
Ship," started on December 2, 2016, during a party at the building. The
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), have reportedly
completed their investigation at the scene of the
destroyed building, but have not yet determined what caused the deadly
fire. Now families are left to mourn their loved ones while officials determine
what charges, if any, should be laid.

Fire Started During Concert

The fire reportedly started
during the late hours of December 2, 2016, during a concert, held at the
"Ghost Ship" warehouse. Approximately 100 people were on the second
floor of the warehouse at the time of the fire.

Although officials still are not
sure what caused the fire to start, they do not believe that it was purposely
set. Either way, according to reports, the fire quickly spread from its
original location on the first floor, trapping and killing 36 people on the
second floor. Reports indicate there were no fire suppression or alarm
systems in the building.

"There
was rapid fire progression," said Jill Snyder of the ATF.
"Initial witness interviews have indicated the fire was well developed by
the time the second-floor occupants realized a fire was going on on the first
floor."

Neither of the building's two
staircases led to an exit, and with a maze of wooden pallets—including wooden
pallets that were used to build a stairwell—RVs and artistic works were on the
first floor, people not familiar with the building would have had a difficult
time getting out in the dark.

The fire department was called to
the scene around 11:30 p.m. that Friday night. The fire moved so quickly it was
declared a defensive fire, meaning firefighters could not go inside the
building due to the danger. They were left to attack the fire from the outside
to get it under control.

City officials declared a local
state of emergency, which could allow for state and federal funds to help cover
some of the costs associated with responding to the blaze.

Former Ghost Ship Residents
Describe Poor Living Conditions

In addition to being a site for
dance parties and concerts, the "Ghost Ship" building was reportedly
an illegal residence for between 20 and 25 artists, including musicians,
dancers and woodworkers. Former residents, however, described a building beset
with problems, including frequently
having no electricity or running water. Authorities had been called to the
building in the past to investigate dangerous living conditions and problems
with drugs, but the building was allowed to remain open.

As recently as mid-November,
2016, a city inspector attempted to gain access to the building to investigate
complaints about an illegal residence, but was unable to gain entry to the
"Ghost Ship," and left. In fact, the warehouse had reportedly not
been inspected for at least 30 years.

Victims of Oakland Warehouse Fire
Remembered by Loved Ones

The families of those who were
killed in the Oakland warehouse fire are now left remembering their loved ones
in the wake of the tragedy, and asking how such a disaster could have happened.
Included in the dead is 22-year-old Cash Askew, who played
guitar in a musical duo and was part of a community of artists who could
regularly be found at the "Ghost Ship."

"I need the world to know
how incredible she was," said Askew's girlfriend, Anya Taylor. "I
loved her more than anything in the world."

Also killed in the fire was
35-year-old Alex Ghassan, a filmmaker who had recently moved to Oakland from
New York. Ghassan worked as a freelance producer and director, and had two
young daughters. Just before the fire broke out, Ghassan reportedly posted a
video of the concert.

"He always wanted to be
remembered by his work, so let's celebrate him and his work," Ghassan's
mother said.

Officials reported that two
people who died in the fire were found holding each other, protecting each
other. Those two people were 20-year-old Michela Gregory and her 22-year-old
boyfriend, Alex Vega. The two had been together about five years and attended
the concert together. These are just four of the 36 lives that were tragically
ended at the Oakland warehouse fire.

Charges Not Yet Laid in Fire

Investigators have not yet said
whether Chor Ng, the woman who owns the "Ghost Ship," or Derick Ion
Almena, the man who founded the artists' colony that was housed in the
warehouse, will face charges for the deaths. Ng was reportedly given a citation
in November 2016 for dangerous
trash and debris around the building.

Among the potential charges
linked to the Oakland warehouse fire are anything from involuntary manslaughter
to murder. Officials and former residents of the building have said the
warehouse was unsafe and witnesses say Almena was repeatedly confronted about
the living conditions in the "Ghost Ship."

Oakland Blaze the Deadliest Since
2003

The Oakland warehouse fire is the
deadliest fire in the U.S. since a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island took the
lives of 100 people. That fire, the fourth deadliest on U.S. soil, occurred
when fireworks used by the band Great White set fire to foam inside the club,
called The Station. In addition to the 100 people killed, more than 200 were
injured.

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